Changing unused oil - Why?

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I know people who have vehicles that see very little mileage yet they change their oil nonetheless.

For instance, they own a new SUV and keep it parked in a heated underground indoor parking area. The vehicle had it's initial 500 mile oil change then was parked for months with very little use. Possibly 250 miles on it. Their vehicle maintenance schedule has the usual "mileage or time period, whichever comes first" language in it. So, due to the time requirement, they bring the vehicle in for an oil change with only 250 miles on the oil.

Another example is the guy puts Amsoil in his TC88 engine and components. He had less than 800 miles on the oil and dumped it due to sitting in the same garage all winter.

I run the oil in my machines to OCI intervals of 3000 miles (bikes/vehicles - Rotella T) regardless of how long it's been in the engine. Been doing it for well over 35 years with absolutely no problems.

Dumping lightly used expensive oil simply due to the time it's been in the engine doesn't seem right to me. Personally, I think it's very wasteful and environmentally unsound.

Does this make sense to anyone? If so, would you please explain why?
 
Some people have money to burn. If they can afford some luxury underground heated garage for the winter and nice and cool for the summer then the price of oil is not a factor.

IMO....if that was synthetic....just a waste of resources.
 
For the warranty, sure. Otherwise, leave it be for a maximum of 2 years. That's assuming ideal storage conditions.
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus

Does this make sense to anyone? If so, would you please explain why?

You're right. We've seen a number of UOAs here on oils there were in service for extended periods of time (as opposed to miles), and it looked like time was not really a factor.
 
I have an uncle who had a mobile home. Instead of changing the oils for the engine and trany often he ran them. The engine blew (big diesel big bucks) and then the automatic trany stuck in second on a trip (according to the mechanic moisture in trany fluid allowed rust and some parts would not move because of the rust). A new engine and a new trany cost an order of magnitude more than oils. And when you are talking about large vehicles or new vehicles, the cost can be really big bucks.

Kind of like the man in the oil commercial says, "You can pay me now or PAY ME LATER."
 
I would agree-but if the vehicle is stored indoors, in a heated (and HUMIDITY controlled area), then constant changes are a waste. When I had my old RV, used to change oil right when the weather got hot, never ran far enough in a year to change it again-but it was stored outside. Wish I could afford what the above peoples' problems of never driving the big $$$!
 
Even if it were parked outside all winter and wasn't driven, how much impact does that have on oil life?
 
I have seen machinery in general will be in much better shape when used on a regular basis with normal upkeep of course.. When machinery sits unused all wear points, ball joints, bearings, seals belts etc etc you name it suffer from some odd ting maybe it's the constant tension, pressure on one point, bearings will stick then when started the races/seals/balls one or the other will score and beginning it's decline of it's not a catastrophe breakdown.. belts the same thing

So I would agree change the fluid out keep up maintenance, and it's better to run the machinery than it sit..
 
"So I would agree change the fluid out keep up maintenance"

If I read the above sentence correctly, you would change the oil with 250 miles on it after sitting in a controlled environment for 5 months?

How long does it take for a vehicle built in Asia, stored on a sales lot waiting to be bought by a customer? I've seen vehicles sit in car lots over a winter and then some. Are they being hauled in off the lot to have the oil changed?

Personally, I think it's totally unnecessary unless the oil has been contaminated by some unusual event or cause.

Oil in the bottle - oil in the engine? Not a whole lot of difference there if the vehicle is just sitting.
 
Sometimes, it is what the manufacturer recommends, unecessary as it may be.
For example, the OM for my old BMW actaully recommends that the oil and filter be changed prior to the car being laid up for the winter, and then again in the spring when the car is returned to use.
This at the same time that the maintenance minder system allows for fairly long drains on the oils available in 1995. For eample, after 5K, I still have two green bars on the maintenance minder, suggesting that 7-8K would be in line with BMW's recommendations.
Now, I will likely change the oil in early October, before the car is stored around 11/1, but I will not change it at once when bringing the car out of storage in April.
That would be a complete waste of oil and filter, and really not necessary.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Sometimes, it is what the manufacturer recommends, unecessary as it may be.
For example, the OM for my old BMW actaully recommends that the oil and filter be changed prior to the car being laid up for the winter, and then again in the spring when the car is returned to use.
This at the same time that the maintenance minder system allows for fairly long drains on the oils available in 1995. For eample, after 5K, I still have two green bars on the maintenance minder, suggesting that 7-8K would be in line with BMW's recommendations.
Now, I will likely change the oil in early October, before the car is stored around 11/1, but I will not change it at once when bringing the car out of storage in April.
That would be a complete waste of oil and filter, and really not necessary.


Putting in fresh oil in the fall and dumping it in the spring is completely senseless. One has to wonder if something was lost in the translation from German to English.

Maybe they hired an oil executive to translate the manual?

I'd rather drain all the oil in the fall and leave it empty then fill it in the spring with fresh oil.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Has to do with entrapped moisture. Even in a climate controlled system.


Might be an issue in some climates. I live in central Canada and have never had an issue with engine problems due to moisture in the oil other than way back in 1976 when my Ford pick up 302 V8 had mechanical issues due to using Amsoil in winter conditions. The oil apparently couldn't cope with cold weather conditions when condensation would build up. That occurred while regularly operating the vehicle. Not while in storage.

I leave seven motorcycles, two ATVs, and numerous small engines with their oil in them all winter. Never had an oil related issue with any of them. Some of these engines are 30+ years old and run like the day I bought them.

Not saying that there is no possibility of condensation issues, however it's probably unlikely to happen in a few months. Particularly if stored in a protected environment.
 
I change my oil by miles generally too. I have a lot of motorcycles I ride very seldom, (as seldom as 10yrs) between rides believe it or not and I've never had a problem. They just sit there and once in a great while I uncover, install a battery and ride one of them around 30 or 40 miles. Another farce is the "gaskets and seals all dry up from sitting". I've never had one gasket or seal leak yet as a result of lengthy storage and my storage is a shed and a old 1925 vintage garage with no heat in colorado. We're dry here though which probably helps.
 
I had thought of that, but wouldn't a sustained run cause any moisture to evaporate?
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I had thought of that, but wouldn't a sustained run cause any moisture to evaporate?


When an engine's temperature exceeds the boiling point of water, the water will cook off and the vapour should work it's way out through the crank case ventilation valve. In the fall, I run my bikes up to operating temps while out for a good long ride then remove the battery and put them away hot. If they're due for an oil change just before putting them away, I'll put in the fresh oil before storage. However, if the oil still has life in it, it stays in the bike until it due.
 
What does it have to do with bikes?
At any rate Suzuki and Honda both recommend that you change the oil fresh, fill it to top of crankcase/crank, put oil in the cylinders/crank and fill up the tank. I do over inflate my tires during winter as well.It is a matter of doing the right thing and store the bike (or car)properly. It is a pain but I would rather do it. It is your investment and oil is used for protection not really wasted. You may not gain anything but suely prevet a slow death to varying degree.

Primerly it is a rust protection measure. Leaving dirty oil in the crankcase for a period of time is not a good idea. Wear metal and moisture and air can damage due to acid build up. To what extent it really depends on situation. This sort of damages are accumulative and slow. I would use cheap dino for storage or when the vehicle is not used rarely.
 
"suely prevet a slow death to varying degree."

Nothing prevents slow death. Possibly slow it down but to what significance is questionable. I've got machines that are getting close to 40 years old still running like new and never followed the manufacturers storage procedures. Never!

With the number of machines I have, it would take me a month to do them all and few hundred dollars buying oil just to waste it.

I'll continue doing what I do because it's proven to me that in the short and long run, it has no ill effects on the equipment and it's fiscally and environmentally responsible to do so.

We live in a society where waste is acceptable. Our affluence has allowed us to indulge in practices that would shock other countries/societies. Our wasteful habits do nothing but line the pockets of the companies that provide the products they want us to waste.

Fifty years ago, you wouldn't have seen this. It's big business finding new, clever and devious ways to part us from our money. Unfortunately, the recent generations have been brought up to accept this wasteful practice as the norm.
 
Losses vs benifits is this case is a different issue.
If you want to stay green that is fine and perhaps a good choice.
I personnaly use the oil later in my mowers so there is no waste of resources. Havind said that I wouln't drain my oil to leave an empty crankcase (as you said you prefer to do) nor if I have only 250 miles on it. Even 500 miles seems excessive ulnless short trips.
 
All of the points are correct moisture will boil off when the temperature rises above the point of evaporation, however until that time comes you still need to have oil or whatever (grease, fluid etc etc) that will protect then engine, gear box etc etc... I was going more for the long term storage than the 6 month storage, 6 months no big deal, however when it comes to one year you need to look at changing fluids, belts, even valves will stick especially electronic activated valves...

When a machine, engine etc is run 24-7 I have seen them run, and run, and run, however start stop is far more harsh on mechanical parts, engines, bearings etc etc than running continuous, I also think this is why over the road big rigs, textile machinery, etc last so long as the mechanical parts are in constant use, lubricated (if lubrication practices are maintained). There is a fine line on this, you can cross over one side or the other being over zealous or neglect... still a mechanical device that sits with no use causes bearings to freeze up, oil sumps to condense moisture... while doing this may also deplete the add pack the oil was specified for.. as in corrosion protection on and on.

This is not just in engines, but tires, bearings, shafts, electronic valves, paint, everything deteriorates over time, we use lubrication to combat this deterioration the best we can... This is my experience working on machinery for about 20 years while doing so I also run many many many experiments from bearings sticking of shafts, corrosion protection, friction reduction on many different types of metals, plastics, ceramics, and also machine storage.
 
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